SKIP AHEAD
- Why Most New Agents Fail (And How You Can Be Different)
- Financial Survival: Making It Through Year One
- Choose Your Brokerage Wisely
- Build Your Foundation: Systems and Skills
- Generate Leads Without Going Broke
- Social Media: Your 24/7 Marketing Engine
- Marketing on a New Agent Budget
- Work Smart: Time Management and Mindset
- Education and Professional Development
- Relationships: The Real Foundation of Your Business
- Survival Mindset: Mental Toughness for New Agents
- Your Next Step
Why Most New Agents Fail (And How You Can Be Different)
Let me be straight with you. 87% of agents fail in the first 5 years. That’s not a typo—nearly nine out of ten agents who start this career won’t make it past their fifth year.
But here’s what the statistics don’t tell you: the agents who do survive aren’t necessarily smarter or more talented. They just know things the others don’t. They have a plan, a financial cushion, and realistic expectations about what it takes to build a real estate business.
We reached out to hundreds of active agents, studied what’s working in 2026, and compiled 87 actionable tips that address every phase of your first two years. Some will resonate immediately. Others you’ll save for later. All of them come from agents who’ve actually done this.
Financial Survival: Making It Through Year One
1. Budget for 12-18 months of living expenses before you quit your day job. REALTORS® with two years or less experience earned $8,100 annually according to NAR’s 2025 Member Profile. That’s not a living wage.
2. Keep your side hustle. One agent we interviewed cuts hair and does photography between closings. Multiple income streams keep you from making desperate decisions with clients.
3. Understand your actual take-home pay. If you close a $200,000 home at 6% commission split between buyer and listing agents, you get 3%. That’s $6,000. After your 60/40 brokerage split, you net $3,600. After taxes and expenses, you’re looking at about $2,100.
4. Budget $8,010 annually for business expenses. That’s the median agents spent in 2024 on marketing, vehicles, insurance, and association fees.
5. Set up quarterly tax payments after your first year. The IRS expects self-employed agents to pay estimated taxes four times a year. Missing these creates a painful April surprise.
6. Track every deductible expense from day one. Mileage, phone bills, home office space, marketing materials, continuing education—all deductible. Use a simple app or spreadsheet.
7. Open a separate business checking account. Mixing personal and business finances makes tax time a nightmare and looks unprofessional if you ever get audited.
8. Save 30-35% of every commission for taxes. You won’t have an employer withholding. The money feels like it’s all yours, but it’s not.
9. Don’t lease a luxury car your first year. Clients notice confidence, not your car. A clean, reliable vehicle is enough. Save the BMW for year three.
10. Skip the expensive CRM in month one. Start with a free Google Sheet or your brokerage’s system. Upgrade when you have 50+ contacts actively in your pipeline.
Choose Your Brokerage Wisely
11. Prioritize training over commission splits as a new agent. A 50/50 split at a brokerage with great mentorship beats 80/20 at a place where you’re on your own.
12. Ask about lead programs during interviews. Some brokerages provide leads in exchange for higher splits. For new agents with zero database, this can be the difference between closing deals and starving.
13. Evaluate their onboarding process. Do they assign you a mentor? Provide transaction coordination? Offer weekly training? Or do they just hand you a desk and wish you luck?
14. Check if they have an in-house lender and preferred vendors. These relationships make your transactions smoother and give you trusted referral partners from day one.
15. Understand desk fees and monthly minimums. Some brokerages charge $200-500/month whether you close anything or not. That adds up when you’re not producing yet.
16. Consider joining a team your first year. Teams typically provide leads, training, and deal support. Yes, you’ll split commissions further, but some money is better than no money.
Build Your Foundation: Systems and Skills
17. Master your MLS in the first two weeks. You need to run comps in your sleep. Practice on your own neighborhood, your friends’ homes, random addresses. Speed matters.
18. Take a CMA course immediately. Pricing properties correctly is your most valuable skill. Overpricing loses listings. Underpricing costs your clients money and your reputation.
19. Read your standard purchase contract 10 times. One agent told us: “When you have a question about the contract, the answer is usually in the contract.” Know it cold.
20. Shadow experienced agents on their transactions. Offer to hold open houses for them, attend inspections, watch how they handle objections. Experience is the fastest teacher.
21. Build your vendor list before you need it. Identify three great home inspectors, two reliable lenders, a handyman, a stager, a photographer, and a title company. Vet them now.
22. Document everything in writing. Texts, emails, agreements, conversations—if it’s not documented, it didn’t happen. CYA is not paranoia in real estate.
23. Learn the art of the follow-up. Most deals happen between the 5th and 12th contact. New agents give up after two. Persistence separates top producers from everyone else.
24. Master your local market data. Know median prices, days on market, inventory levels, and school ratings for your farm area. Speak in specifics, not generalities.
25. Practice your listing presentation on friends and family. You’ll stumble through your first one anyway, but practice reduces how badly you stumble.
Generate Leads Without Going Broke
26. Work your sphere of influence first. The people who already know and trust you are your warmest leads. Everyone you know should know you’re now an agent.
27. Tell every single person you meet. Grocery store, PTA meeting, dog park, gym, coffee shop—everywhere is networking. Hand out your card (digital or physical) without being pushy.
28. Call 20 people a week from your phone. Not social media messages—actual calls. “Hey, I wanted to let you know I got my real estate license. If you hear of anyone thinking about moving, I’d love to help.”
29. Don’t pay for Zillow leads your first year. They’re expensive, shared with multiple agents, and conversion rates are low. Use that money for direct mail to your farm area instead.
30. Host open houses for other agents. You meet potential buyers, practice your pitch, and build goodwill with listing agents who might send you referrals.
31. Door-knock your target neighborhood. Old school? Yes. Effective? Also yes. Introduce yourself, drop off market reports, ask if they know anyone thinking of selling.
32. Send monthly market updates to your database. Even if your database is just 50 people right now, consistent communication keeps you top of mind when they’re ready to move.
33. Ask for referrals explicitly. “I’m building my business and would love to help your friends and family when they’re ready to buy or sell. Who do you know who might be thinking about a move?”
34. Join your local chamber of commerce and BNI group. Business owners need agents too. Networking groups create structured referral opportunities.
35. Offer to do CMAs for FSBOs. Find For Sale By Owner listings and offer a free market analysis. Many end up listing with an agent after they realize how hard it is.
36. Circle prospect around your listings. When you get a listing, mail and door-knock everyone within a half-mile radius. “Your neighbor hired me to sell their home. I wanted to introduce myself and share what’s happening in your market.”
37. Pick one platform and master it. Don’t try to be everywhere. Most agents try to post everywhere at once and end up posting nowhere. Pick the platforms you’ll actually use and the ones your clients already scroll through.
38. Post consistently—not perfectly. Three posts a week beats one perfect post a month. The algorithm rewards consistency over production value.
39. Use Instagram Reels for listing tours. 73% of home owners are more likely to list with a real estate agent who uses videos. Short-form video is non-negotiable in 2026.
40. Tag your location on every post. Adding the location helps Instagram understand where your content applies. This results in stronger local distribution, especially within a five- to 15-mile radius.
41. Use the collaboration feature on Instagram. When you invite another account to be a collaborator, your post has the ability to appear on their feed. This doubles exposure instantly.
42. Share “behind the scenes” content. Show your planning session, a CMA you’re working on, prep for an open house. People want to see the human behind the agent.
43. Post market stats monthly. Create a simple graphic with three bullets: median price, average days on market, inventory levels. Position yourself as the local expert.
44. Share client testimonials and success stories. Social proof builds trust faster than any ad. Always get written permission before posting.
45. Go live during open houses. Walk through the home on Facebook or Instagram Live. It’s casual, authentic, and shows off the property to people who can’t attend in person.
46. Create “5 things you need to know about [Your City]” content. Schools, restaurants, parks, events—position yourself as the neighborhood expert, not just a salesperson.
47. Respond to every comment and DM within 4 hours. Social media engagement is relationship building. Ignoring messages is like not answering your phone.
48. Use Facebook groups strategically. Join local community groups and provide helpful answers (not spam). Be the person who knows stuff, and people will message you when they need an agent.
49. Don’t over-promote. The 80/20 rule applies: 80% value and education, 20% promotional content. Nobody follows an account that’s just “Buy! Sell! Call me!”
Marketing on a New Agent Budget
50. Create your Google Business Profile immediately. It’s free and critical for local SEO. When someone searches “real estate agent near me,” you want to show up.
51. Get professional headshots—once. You don’t need $1,500 branding photos every six months. Invest in one great session with multiple outfits and use those images for two years.
52. Use Canva for all your graphics. Free or $13/month for Pro. Stop paying designers $50 per social media post. Canva has templates for everything.
53. Start an email list from day one. Collect emails at open houses, add friends and family, import your phone contacts (with permission). Email still has the highest ROI of any marketing channel.
54. Send a monthly newsletter. Market updates, new listings, community events, and home tips. Use Mailchimp’s free tier until you have 500+ contacts.
55. Print business cards but don’t go crazy. Order 250 from Vistaprint for $20. You need them for networking, but you don’t need 5,000 embossed cards your first week.
56. Skip the car wrap your first year. It’s $2,000-3,000 and works best when you already have name recognition. Spend that money on direct mail instead.
57. Use free listing presentation templates. AME has pre-designed templates that look professional and save you hours. Customize them with your branding and local market data.
58. Create a “Just Sold” postcard template. Mail it to neighbors every time you close. It’s proof you get deals done and keeps your name circulating in your farm area.
59. Film yourself once a week. “3 things happening in [Your City] real estate this week.” Post it to Instagram Reels, Facebook, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok. One video, four platforms.
Work Smart: Time Management and Mindset
60. Set business hours—even though you’re self-employed. If you’re available 24/7, clients will call at 10pm on Sunday. Train them early that you respond during business hours unless it’s urgent.
61. Time-block your week. Monday mornings for follow-up calls, Tuesday afternoons for showings, Wednesday evenings for open houses. Structure prevents the chaos.
62. Schedule lead generation daily. Thirty minutes a day, non-negotiable. Prospecting is what fills your pipeline three months from now.
63. Practice your scripts every day. Ten minutes of role-play on listing presentations, buyer consultations, and objection handling. Confidence comes from repetition.
64. Track your numbers weekly. Calls made, appointments set, offers written, deals closed. What gets measured gets improved.
65. Don’t chase unqualified buyers. Get pre-approval letters before you show homes. Tire-kickers waste time you need for serious clients.
66. Learn to say no to difficult clients. If someone has been through three agents already and “they all just stopped talking to me,” that’s a red flag. Walk away.
67. Give yourself credit for small wins. Your first showing, first open house, first offer (even if it doesn’t close)—celebrate progress. This career is hard.
68. Find an accountability partner. Another new agent or a mentor who checks in weekly on your goals. Isolation is a top reason agents quit.
69. Plan for the emotional rollercoaster. You’ll have a great month followed by six weeks of crickets. Real estate income is lumpy. Don’t panic when it’s slow.
Education and Professional Development
70. Invest in your education strategically. Take courses that directly impact your income: pricing, negotiation, buyer representation, listing presentations. Skip the “mindset” seminars until you’re making money.
71. Join your local association of REALTORS®. 88% of home buyers purchased through an agent, and 92% were satisfied with their services. Your association provides networking, MLS access, and credibility.
72. Attend your brokerage’s training sessions. Even if they’re at 8am and you’d rather sleep in. Free training from experienced agents is worth more than any online course.
73. Read one real estate book per quarter. “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent,” “Ninja Selling,” “Shift”—there are proven systems. Learn from people who’ve done it.
74. Listen to real estate podcasts during your commute. Tom Ferry, BiggerPockets, Jason Pantana—turn drive time into education time.
75. Consider a designation after your first year. GRI, ABR, or CRS designations can increase your credibility and income. Not necessary immediately, but valuable long-term.
Relationships: The Real Foundation of Your Business
76. Make relationship-building your #1 priority. Real estate is a relationship business disguised as a sales job. People hire agents they know, like, and trust.
77. Remember personal details about clients. Kids’ names, hobbies, their “why” for moving. Reference these in your follow-up. People remember when you care.
78. Send closing gifts that matter. Skip the generic fruit basket. Give something personal based on what you learned during the transaction.
79. Stay in touch after closing. Most agents disappear after the deal. Send birthday cards, anniversary-of-purchase notes, and market updates. Your past clients are your best source of referrals.
80. Build genuine friendships with other agents. Your “competition” becomes your referral network when they get leads outside their area or specialty. Real estate is collaborative, not cutthroat.
81. Partner with local businesses. Coffee shops, dry cleaners, lawn care companies—they know who’s moving before anyone else. Build reciprocal referral relationships.
82. Volunteer in your community. Coach little league, serve on a nonprofit board, sponsor a local event. Community involvement builds name recognition and trust.
83. Host client appreciation events. Annual BBQ, holiday party, or community shred day. Give past clients a reason to stay connected and bring their friends.
Survival Mindset: Mental Toughness for New Agents
84. Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. That top producer posting luxury listings on Instagram has been doing this for 15 years. You’re on a different timeline.
85. Expect rejection—lots of it. People will hang up during cold calls. Listings will go to other agents. Deals will fall apart. It’s not personal, and it happens to everyone.
86. The first two years are the hardest. Multiple agents told us this. If you can push through years one and two, you’re positioned for long-term success.
87. Never, ever give up. Consistency beats talent. Persistence beats perfect timing. The agents who make it aren’t the smartest—they’re the ones who refuse to quit.
Your Next Step
Here’s the truth: not all 87 tips will apply to you right now. Some are for month one. Others are for month six. A few won’t make sense until you’re in year two.
Pick three tips from this list—just three—and implement them this week. Maybe it’s setting up your Google Business Profile, calling 20 people from your contact list, and scheduling your first week of social media posts.
Real estate rewards action, not perfection. The agents who succeed don’t have it all figured out. They just keep moving forward, learning as they go, and refusing to quit when it gets hard.
You’ve got this. Now go make something happen.
About The Author: This article was researched and published by Tim Schroeder. As a husband and wife real estate team residing in Florida, Tim Schroeder brings deep expertise with over 8 years of experience as a licensed real estate agent.
Deb and Tim Schroeder have earned numerous real estate industry awards and recognitions. They have been recognized by Orlando Magazine as a “Top 100 Real Estate Professional” as well as earned Top Producer Designations with the Orlando Realtor Association for 6 years straight.
One Response
Real Estate Agents have different talents. Your talent might be technology and social media. Point being is that we real estate agents can excel at different things and still have a successful career.